When Hollywood Turned Its Back onBrokeback Mountain
It’s been two decades since Brokeback Mountain hit theaters and left a permanent mark on cinema, but for Diana Ossana, one of its co-writers, the pain of the 2006 Oscar loss still lingers. I was reading her recent interview reflecting on that night, and it really struck me—she knew the film wouldn’t win Best Picture the moment she found out that Clint Eastwood, a powerful Hollywood figure and an Academy voter, hadn’t even bothered to watch it.
Imagine pouring your soul into a story that’s both intimate and groundbreaking, only to realize that the industry might never have fully embraced it. Ossana was at a party for Oscar nominees hosted by Crash director Paul Haggis. She was excited to meet Eastwood, thinking maybe this industry legend had at least seen their work. But Haggis told her bluntly, “He hasn’t seen your movie.” Just like that, a wave of realization hit her—it was like a gut punch. That was the moment she knew they weren’t going to win.
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What makes this especially heartbreaking is that Brokeback Mountain had won just about everything else—Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Independent Spirit Awards, Critics' Choice. The momentum was all there. But the Oscars, the crown jewel of awards season, slipped through its fingers. Why? Ossana believes it was plain and simple—homophobia. Not everyone wanted to see a love story between two men, no matter how beautifully it was told.
She recalled watching audiences during its initial theatrical run—some would walk out during the gay sex scenes, but most stayed, riveted, silent, and eventually, moved to tears. People weren’t just watching a movie; they were experiencing something rare and emotional. And yet, that wasn’t enough for the Academy.
It’s easy to look back and say, “Crash wasn’t even that memorable.” Even Michelle Williams, who played Heath Ledger’s wife in Brokeback Mountain , recently joked, “What was Crash ?” But back then, there was a wall, an invisible barrier between what audiences were ready for and what the industry would actually reward.
Director Ang Lee, who did win Best Director for the film, has said he’s let go of any bitterness. To him, the film was never just a “gay movie”—it was a love story. And he’s right. It broke boundaries, and it did so with tenderness and truth.
Now, with Brokeback Mountain getting a 20th-anniversary re-release, new audiences have the chance to see it on the big screen. Hopefully this time, it’ll get all the respect it deserves—no asterisks, no caveats, just recognition for what it is: a powerful, human story that changed the conversation, even if the Academy wasn’t ready for it back then.
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